Biden imposes additional sanctions on Russia now after Ukraine attack in full swing

The planned sanctions, the latest US reprisals against Moscow this week, were reserved because Biden had hoped to maintain some leverage in dissuading Putin from a large-scale invasion. But so far, Western threats of economic sanctions, as well as Biden’s strategy Uncover what the United States has known About Putin’s mobilization of forces in an attempt to get the Russian leader to guess himself, proved ineffective.

After months of predictions and warnings, Russian forces Their attack on Ukraine began Thursday morning local time, with reports of troops crossing the border to the north and south, explosions in multiple cities including the capital Kiev, and warnings from Putin of future bloodshed unless Ukrainian forces lay down their weapons.

Before speaking, Biden plans to consult with leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations about the sanctions they plan to impose, hoping to coordinate a response that anticipates unity among Western allies. US and European officials spoke by phone overnight through Thursday to coordinate their responses.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed Thursday morning to “weaken Russia’s economic base and capacity for modernization” in the wake of Russia’s “barbaric attack” on Ukraine.

“We will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and stop Russian banks’ access to European financial markets,” she said.

A White House official said Biden also convened a National Security Council meeting Thursday morning to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

Biden’s top national security aides held emergency meetings late Wednesday as Putin announced his plan for a “military operation” against Ukraine in a televised address. The speech was broadcast in Russia at the same time the United Nations Security Council was holding its meeting to condemn Moscow’s behaviour, catching some delegates by surprise.

Meeting in the West Wing, Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior officials prepared a statement from Biden condemning the Russian attack as “unprovoked and unjustified.”

“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will lead to massive loss of life and human suffering,” Biden wrote in the statement released at 10:25 p.m. ET as the explosions began in Kiev.

An hour later, Biden was on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who reached out to the White House while his country was under siege.

“He has asked me to call on world leaders to speak out against President Putin’s blatant aggression, and to stand by the people of Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement afterward. He said the United States and its partners were planning to “impose severe sanctions on Russia.”

This story was updated with additional developments on Thursday.